ENGLAND
It is a country whose capital is London. Throughout history, England managed to impose itself politically on some neighboring countries and came to control a state called the United Kingdom (see below). In the 19th century, with England at the head, the British Empire became one of the largest in history, with a territorial extension equivalent to a quarter of the planet!
GREAT BRITAIN
It is the name of the large island where three countries are located: England, Wales and Scotland. With almost 230,000 km2 in area, it is close to 1000 km in length from north to south and just under 500 km from east to west. The term “Great Britain” is often used as a synonym for “United Kingdom” – which is not entirely correct, as one of the countries that make up the United Kingdom is not located on this island.
BRITAIN
The name derives from the large island on which England is located, but when someone mentions just “Brittany”, they are referring not to an English territory, but to a region in France. The province of Brittany is the largest French coastal area and its capital is the city of Rennes. Around the 6th century, this region was invaded by inhabitants of present-day Great Britain, the Britons, giving rise to the common name.
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UK
It is a state made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II and the head of government is a Prime Minister, elected by a central Parliament in London. On major government issues, such as economic policy, this Parliament is in charge. But Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have national assemblies, with some autonomy to deal with more local issues like health.
BRITISH ISLANDS
It is an archipelago formed by about 5 thousand islands. The two largest are Great Britain and the island of Ireland – where two countries are located, Northern Ireland (a member of the United Kingdom) and the Republic of Ireland, also called Eire (an independent state). In addition to the two “big ones”, thousands of smaller islands are part of this archipelago, such as Orkney, Shetland, Hebrides, Man and Channel Islands (like Jersey).